What do I need?

[tierbb]

I need some help as an amateur. I have a Kioti CK30 with a bucket and snowblower.

As a newbie I'm finding more and more I want to do.

Problem: I have a driveway 400 feet long. It grows crabgrass on the sides and with the rain and snow the pitch needs to be modified from time to time. I'd like to be able to dig up the crabgrass and remove it. With the need to correct the pitch I guess I'd like to generally maintain the driveway and parking areas on my property.

First, I thought a york rake was best, then came the back blade, now the box back blade. Maybe even a scarifer whatever that is.

Any advice on what I need.
Thanks Tierbb

 

[Loogie]

Scarifers are the teeth that stick down on a box blade. As for the crabgrass, I would just spray it with Trimec Plus - that will be much easier than trying to physically remove it.
Is your driveway and parking area gravel or dirt? When you say the pitch needs to be modified do you mean that it get's grooves in it and needs to be smoothed out? ANy/all of the implements you mentioned would probably do the job, it all depends on how aggressive you want to get. I would rank them form least to most aggressive this way: landscape rake, back blade, box blade. The box blade is probably your implement of choice here if it's dirt. If it's gravel then the box blade will mix the gravel with the dirt below (if you have the scarifiers down). Here's a link to a great publication that describes the mission of each implement: Guide to Compact Tractor Implements

 

[jbrumberg]

tierbb:

Welcome to TBN ! I agree with Loogie. I have another question for you- what is the condition of your driveway and parking area during "Mud Season" ?

 

[Tororider]

Or you could get asphalt, road grade gravel, or 21aa. All of those would be better at keeping plants out than a dirt drive. Still probably the back blade to scrape and level. We just got our tractor at the beginning of the summer. It came with finish mower and back blade, and we have since bought a pto chipper, a disc harrow, and a brush hog. Fun with productive toys!

 

[InlineDieselFan]

The way you describe your driveway with crabgrass, I am assuming it is gravel.

I use a landscape rake to smooth out and redistibute the 5/8"s inch gravel, this also will remove some on the grass on the edges.

Now the problem that I have is, that I have a few twists and turns on my small hills. I can set the LR square and level then start my run of 1400', but when I get to the turns and hills the tractor is slightly tilted so the LR is slightly tilted. Causing the rake job to be uneven, I have learned where these spots are and slightly raise the LR at these spots and if I mess up; I will back up and even them out.

I think the real solution would be a top & tilt to adjust for those slight changes in the pitch of the tractor. But I do not have my rear hydraulics yet, so I continue to do it as described above.

steve

 

[tierbb]

I thought I just put in a reply but can't really find it anywhere. I'll Try again.

As I mentioned I'm new so I just got the question out but not enough details.

First I'm in upstate New York, have an item 4 (1" stone plus dust) driveway and we encounter a lot of stones coming through. Mostly small and medium but I have one big one I'll have to chase.

The Driveway is a straight four hundred feet long ending in a slanted circle at the front of the house. Then it goes past the house to a lower level and off the hill. Simply straight, circle and continues off to one side. The driveway is basically dropping down all the way in and out. On the left of the driveway is a hill coming down to the driveway and on the right it drops off in to the woods.

Problem is this. A few years ago, we replaced a way too steep driveway with a new one. From the road in 200 Feet we used new local item 4 (1" stone and dust) This part of the downward driveway is fine and hard all year round. The second half including the circle, we used recovered item 4 from the old driveway. Appears it has too much dirt content and it gets soggy in the spring. Friday of this week I'ff put some 1" limestone with dust on this area and do my best with the tractor to pitch it out again.

What I like to be able to do is have a small trench on the left to take off the hill water into a catch basin I put in . Then the rest of the driveway needs to be pitched right and the waterflow will go off into the woods

Problem is at the house I need to pitch the flow to the left around the house and off on its merry way. Now with the dirt moving the flow is going right and leaving sand onto the lawn.

Once I get it somewhat right I'll have to redress it from time to time, thus my question.

My neighbor suggested a york rake for the project and could also be used to remove the crabgrass. Loogie could you tell me where to get the TRIMEC PLUS. That maybe an alternative and better solution for that partof the problem.

Just another thought I don't have any washboarding just this flow problem which has to be kept up to date.

Appreciate your help and questions. I also go out and get the info suggested.
Sometimes a little hard up here in the country trying to find people to discuss these things with. This is a great forum.

Bill T

 

[ToadHill]

My drive is 300 ft and straight also. I have had the best success with a york rake. If you are getting more stone to build up the poorer part of the drive, have the dump truck driver adjust the dump doors to put most in the middle and less on the sides as he moves down the drive.
Use a york rake to pitch the drive with the middle high and the sides lower. If the dump driver does the job right this will be an easy task.

 

[tierbb]

took your advice Toadhill. Thanks Tierbb